May 3: Tech test

>'Technology is not a frill. It's part of (students') lives.'

Jodi Reitz and her husband moved to Monroe County because they wanted their children to attend Bedford Public Schools and be exposed to the technology that has become part of their curriculum.

"My third-grader can do a PowerP oint presentation," Mrs. Reitz said admiringly. "For our children to compete, technology is vital. I think it is crucial to the education of our kids."

On May 3 voters will head to the polls to decide whether to renew the technology millage for another five years, something the community has supported since 1997. And with all the threats of cuts in education from Lansing, supporters say the renewal is important now more than ever.

Dr. Donald Spencer, superintendent of the Monroe County Intermediate School District, said if the renewal does not pass, all the work and money invested in classrooms across the county for the past 14 years will abruptly stop.

"Everything we've done would come to a screeching halt," Dr. Spencer said. "There would be no money for technology, especially with all the cuts proposed by the governor. It would be devastating."

Kids and technology are synonymous so it only makes sense for them to learn in school by using instruments they understand , s upporters said. I f the millage is taken away, the current technology in classrooms would be outdated in no time.

"You always want kids to have the current resources available," said John Krimmel, superintendent of Airport Community Schools. "Technology is changing constantly. We have to keep up."

Educators stress that the issue is not a new tax, but a renewal. The money generated by the millage must be used only for educational technology in the classroom and related staffing and services. Without the renewal, and especially with pending financial issues, there would be no money available for computers, laptops, Smartboards, projectors, distance-learning classes and a host of other systems that are used on a daily basis in classrooms from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Sven Wollschlaeger is a sixth-grader at Custer Elementary School in Monroe. He said he uses some sort of technology every day and is thinking ahead. Without the exposure now at his age, he said he would not be prepared for the next academic level and beyond.

"When I get into college, all the classrooms will have technology and all jobs have some type of technology," he said. "We can learn to do those things at a young age."

Doubters might wonder whether the millions of dollars raised over the years from past renewals has been enough. But supporters say incorporating technology into classrooms is not simply a task of ordering computers. Millions of dollars were needed to create an infrastructure to link all the buildings in all nine districts before hardware and machines and software were purchased.

And technology is an ever-evolving system of advancements and upgrades. Without the dollars to sustain what has been built, the programs simply would stop.

"We've held to our original mission and our community can see what the results are," said Summerfield Schools Supt. Jack Hewitt. "Technology has become an integral part of everyday life."

"A plug in the wall is not technology," added Dr. Spencer. "Because of the technology millage, we are able to stay on top it."

If the renewal is successful, the money will be used in a variety of ways. Monroe Public Schools plans to purchase 1,000 netbooks, which are small laptop computers. Other districts are proposing upgrades in computer labs and devices and expansion of wireless network systems.

Dr. Spencer stressed that these are not luxuries; they are part of instruction to prepare students for the next level and keep them competitive.

"Technology is not a frill," he said. "It's part of their lives."

For parents such as Mrs. Reitz, living in a county that provides its students with the proper technology is a necessity for children to be prepared.

"They need this technology to be competitive," she said. "You have to invest in your children. And this millage is an investment of our future."

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